Questions

Scriptural Reflection
Habakkuk 1:1–17

Habakkuk

The name Habakkuk means “one who embraces” (Luther). He was obviously known to the people of his time as he is called a prophet (1:1) and takes part in the liturgy of temple worship as a musician from one of the families of Levi (3:19). The oracle from the Lord appears to have come as a result of Habakkuk’s protest to the Lord against His apparent inaction toward the violence and injustice of the people of Judah, and as God responds with the prophecy of brutal judgment in the hands of the Babylonians, he objects to God’s use of the wicked to “swallow up the more righteous than themselves” (1:13). At the end, the prophet comes to submission to the will of God as God promises that “the righteous will live by his faith” (2:4) which is quoted in the NT in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. Conservative scholars, in general, put the timing of the writing anywhere from the end of the reign of Manasseh to the time of Jehoiakim.

1:1-4—Complaint about the Wickedness in Judah

(1) What did the society of Judah turn into in Habakkuk’s days?

(2) Why can’t justice prevail and be restored?

(3) Instead of pleading to the Lord for help, why does the prophet appear to put the blame on God?

(4) Is he right in so doing? Why or why not?

1:5-11—The Answer by the Lord

(5) The raising up of the Babylonians (vv. 5-7)

a. Given the seemingly invincible empire of Assyria at the time, why is the raising up of the Babylonians such an incredible thing?

b. When will it happen?

c. What kind of people are they? (vv. 6, 7)

d. How powerful will they become? (v. 6b)

e. Why will they be so dreaded? (v. 7b)

(6) The Unstoppable power of the Babylonians (vv. 8-11)

a. What does the depiction of their “war machine” point to? (v. 8)

b. What will be the result of their swift advance? (v. 9)

c. What does the triple use of laughter signify? (v. 10)

d. Is v. 11 a depiction of self-confidence, pride or godlessness? Why?

e. Who then are they in the eyes of the Lord? (v. 11b)

1:12-17—Ensuing Complaint by the Prophet

(7) What does the prophet understand as God’s reply to his complaint about the sins of Judah? (v. 12b)

(8) Who God is (vv. 12-13a)

a. Whom does he say God is?

b. Who is God to him personally?

(9) What then is his complaint about God’s answer to his first complaint? (v. 13b)

(10) Is his complaint justified? Why or why not?

(11) In the prophet’s own words (vv. 14-17)

a. By raising up the Babylonians, what has God turned their victims into? (vv. 14-15)

b. What sins does he accuse the Babylonians of? (v. 16)

c. What question does he now pose to the Lord? (v. 17)

(12) What do you expect God’s answer to be to his ensuing complaints?

(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Habakkuk 2:1–8

2:1—Persistent Demand for an Answer

(1) Since Habakkuk does not agree with God’s use of the wicked to execute judgment on the more righteous, Judah:

a. What is he determined to do?

b. Do you think such an attitude toward the Lord is right?

c. Why or why not?

2:1-5—God’s 2^nd Answer (I)

(2) What is Habakkuk to do (vv. 2-3)

a. Does God rebuke him for his attitude?

b. He commands him to commit His revelation to writing: Why?

c. He has also meant this revelation to be spread afar: Why?

d. How does the Lord answer his initial complaint (1:2-3) again here? (v. 3)

(3) God knows whom He is choosing to do His bidding (vv. 4-5)

a. Does He know that the Babylonians are wicked? (vv. 4a, 5)

b. Will His choice of the Babylonians harm the upright? (v. 4a)

c. See how the NT interprets this verse in Rom.ans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38.

1. What do you understand regarding the “righteous”?
2. Is there such a thing as “more righteous”? (Hab. 1:13; Rom. 3:10)
3. What do you understand by “faith” that leads to “righteousness”? (see Jn. 1:12)

2:6-19—God’s 2^nd Answer (II)—God will also judge the wicked Babylonians (we shall consider the 1^st of the 5 “woes” today)

(4) 1^st woe (vv. 6-8)—The 1^st woe is framed by two rhetorical questions:

a. What is the first rhetorical question and what is its implication? (v. 6)

b. What is the second rhetorical question and what is its implication? (v. 7)

c. In other words what “woe” awaits the Babylonians?

d. What reasons are given for their punishment?

(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Habakkuk 2:9–20

2:6-19—God’s 2^nd Answer (II)—God will also judge the wicked Babylonians (we shall consider the rest of the 5 “woes” today)

(1) 2^nd woe (vv. 9-11)

a. What is the particular sin of the Babylonians mentioned in this woe? (v. 9a)

b. How do they seek to avoid their own ruin? (v. 9b)

c. While plotting the ruin of others...

1. What have they done to their own house? (v. 10)
2. Why? (v. 11- this verse is used metaphorically to speak of their inevitable ruin)

d. In other words, can they avoid their own ruin?

(2) 3^rd woe (vv. 12-14)

a. What have the Babylonians done to achieve their success? (v. 12)

b. In answer to their crime, what is the rhetorical question asked by the Lord? (v. 13)

c. Its implication:

1. How will all the godless effort of the nations end up? (v. 13)
2. What is God’s ultimate plan for this planet earth? (v. 14)
3. How will it be achieved? (see Isa. 11:9-10)

(3) 4^th woe (vv. 15-17)

a. This woe is first directed against their sin and is figuratively taken from their ordinary life (v. 15)

1. What kind of perversion is used as a figure?
2. How fitting is it when applied to the Babylonians?

b. What will the result be? (v. 16a)

c. Why? (v. 16b: note the cup of the Lord usually indicates the outpouring of His wrath; see also Jer. 25:26)

d. What reasons are given for such a judgment? (v. 17)

(4) 5^th woe (vv. 18-20)

a. What are the two rhetorical questions asked by the Lord in v. 18?

b. Why is there no value in putting our trust in idols? (vv. 18b-19)

c. What is its implication to the Babylonians?

d. In contrast (v. 20)

1. What does Judah have that the nations do not?
2. Why then should “all the earth be silent before Him”?

(5) Take some time to pause and reflect on these five woes which God has given in answer to Habakkuk’s bitter complaint (vv. 6-20).

a. What is the message to you today?

b. How may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Habakkuk 3:1–19

In response to God’s answer—the raising up of the Babylonians to execute judgment on Judah and the eventual punishment of these wicked Babylonians, Habakkuk writes this song of prayers to be sung to the congregation:

3:2A—Song of Submission

(1) Does the prophet seek to change God’s mind of His judgment? (v. 2b)

(2) Instead, what does he ask God to do in the midst of His wrath?

(3) What might be the reason for his change in attitude? (v. 2a)

(4) In praying to God to remember mercy, what does he ask the Lord to renew?

3:3-15—God’s Fame and Deeds in the Past

(5) The Exodus event (vv. 3-7)—Teman (of Seir in the east) and Paran (in the north) are Edomite territories that formed part of the wilderness journey of the Israelites, the climax of which was God’s appearance at Sinai. How does their experience from Egypt to Sinai fit the recounting by Habakkuk concerning the following?

a. Glory, praise, and splendors of God’s appearance upon Sinai (see Deuteronomy 33:2)

b. Plague and pestilence (see the ten plagues of Exod. 8-10)

c. The trembling of the nations (using the Cushan and Midian nomads as examples) and the crumbling of the mountains (Exod. 19:16-19; Jos. 2:9-11)

d. Do all these mighty deeds belong only to the past? (v. 6b)

(6) Were they purely natural phenomena? (vv. 8-15)

a. Torrents of water (vv. 8-10)

1. Which particular event does Habakkuk refer to about the rivers, streams and the sweeping of torrents of water? (vv. 9-10, see Exod. 14)
2. What rhetorical questions does he ask? (v. 8)
3. What is the obvious answer to these questions?

b. The sun and moon stood still (vv. 11-15)

1. Which event does Habakkuk refer to in v. 11? (see Jos. 10:12-14)
2. What were the purposes of that event? (vv. 12-14)

3:16-19—Habakkuk’s Response to the Vision of God’s Judgment

(7) How does Habakkuk describe his feelings when he heard and saw in his vision the destruction of his people by the ruthless and impetuous Babylonians in 1:5-11? (v. 16a)

(8) In spite of such inevitable judgment on Judah, what does Habakkuk choose to focus on? (v. 16b)

(9) What kind of result does he foresee regarding God’s judgment on his people? (v. 17)

(10) Instead of challenging God with his complaint, what does he choose to do now? (v. 18)

(11) How does his rejoicing in the midst of such horrific devastation reflect his understanding of God’s reply in in chapter 2, especially in 2:4a?

(12) How does such understanding enable him to face the suffering of his people?

(13) What can you learn from Habakkuk in times of sufferings or unanswered prayers?

(14) What is the most important message to you and how may you apply it to your life?